The 12th National Bisexual Conference in Edinburgh saw the first ever Saint from the bisexual movement created as part of its closing ceremony on the 6th of August. The ceremony was led by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and included readings of gay poetry and lesbian erotica and the singing of traditional hymns such as Somewhere Over The Rainbow and a bisexual version of These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things. Sisters Dominatrix and Pronuptua then surprised the 200 conference goers with the announcement that Kate Fearnley of the Edinburgh Bisexual Group was to be canonised for all her work over the last 10 years, and as a representative of the bisexual movement as a whole.
Kate is one of only a handful of saints to be canonised by the Sisters, others including Derek Jarmen, Lisa Power and Derek Cohen of SM Gays. She was a founder member of the Edinburgh Bisexual Group which celebrated its 10th anniversary at this year's conference and has appeared in numerous TV and radio programmes and in articles in both the gay and straight press. As part of her canonisation she received a tartan ribbon as a badge of office as 'Saint Kate of the tartan kiss' and vowed to "go forth amongst the masses and spread tumultuous joy in the name of bisexuality", which after the success of the conference she should have plenty more opportunities to do.
This years conference attracted 200 people in spite of the train strike which ran the day before, and they came from all around the UK as well as the USA, Ireland, Australia, and Holland. One result already being seen is that new bisexual groups and events are being set up around the country. So far we have heard from start-up groups in Southampton and Hull, Wakefield and Plymouth (see listings for details). Some people are planning a poetry book and others are talking of holding another Bisexual Women's Conference and perhaps a weekend away for women who are thinking of facilitating work-shops or organising groups. We hope to have details of all these events soon.
At the final plenary session it was also decided that next year's conference - the thirteenth - will be held "Somewhere in the Midlands" and organised by a group of people mostly from Birmingham and Coventry. The location should be good news for people who came from the South to this years event (though less fortunate for those from Dundee), especially if they succeed in their aim to make it residential.
Suggestions as to what to call the Conference and any ideas for a logo will he gratefully received - "BiCon the 13th, just when you thought it was safe to go back in the closet?" Maybe not. Watch this space for further details, or send an SAE to BiCon 13 c/o Bifrost to receive them as soon as they come out...
Somebody once told me that your true family is not necessarily the one you are born into, but something you find and create. Well, BiCon 12 was like that for me. Just before leading a workshop, I suddenly realised that all these people, all ages, backgrounds, opinions, and identities, had all somehow agreed on one important thing. They had rejected what society calls normal. It was exactly the right starting point for my workshop. I suddenly realised I was scared. The conference was a safe enough place to admit it.
Owning up to being scared both to myself and to the workshop was an important step and helped it go well and to be fun. As I introduced the workshop, I realised I was surrounded by fifteen bright, attentive, eager faces, ready to go for it. I was not just running a group, like I sometimes do for a living, but sharing in a process that had turned my life upside down. It had made it possible for me to go to this conference, to identify as bi and a whole lot of other things. This conference was part of that process - one of those "my life will never be the same" events.
All because of a label? Well maybe. I have often found it hard to belong. This morning when they played the slow movement from Mozart's clarinet quintet on the radio, I remembered that I belonged to the human race. What's been harder is to feel that I belong to any particular group. There were times that I not only knew I belonged, but felt it as well.
There were some notable highlights. For instance, it was very special to be able to say to two women that I was attracted to them. It was one of those things "I never do". I think it's been my fear of rejection masquerading as not wanting to appear sexist or something ridiculous like that. That bit of fear has sometimes made me come over cool, or as if I don't like people. This time I went over the top and it was great. And I got very interested and positive responses. Not the end of the world at all, or even the beginning of a romance, just a bit of good warm communication.
The conference churned up my thinking about a lot of things, but it also confirmed some things for me. At one workshop somebody said this is all very interesting, but when are we going to get to the real issue? What she had in mind was the oppression (and therefore the liberation) of bisexuals and gays and everybody on the basis of their sexuality. Aha! At last. What's worrying the gays is not so much what people do in bed as the question of whether the bi's (and hets for that matter) take a stand against anti-gay oppression. Which really means will we take a stand against the oppression of any group, whether we are "really" in it or not.
It was wonderful having two people to stay at my house. Thank you Rita and Anna Maria for staying, and talking and listening and sharing.
It was also very good to spend ages on the phone one evening, talking to a close lesbian friend about what it was like for me being at the conference. And how was it for me being at the conference? Liberating, a bit scary sometimes, but safe. And it provoked a whole lot of thinking about identity, oppression and liberation.
Going to the conference was just one step. I don't know what the next will be, but I'm looking forward to it.